Photographic and X-ray film from China

0% duty

Read from the UK Trade Tariff on 26 September 2026, photographic plates and film in the flat, sensitised and unexposed, of any material other than paper, paperboard or textiles, heading 3701, carried 0% on goods from China on all five lines: X-ray film, instant print film, plates and film with any side over 255 mm, colour film and other. No line had an anti-dumping measure, and instant print film is declared by the number of items.

Film in rolls is heading 3702, photographic paper 3703, and cameras are in our instant cameras guide; confirm the commodity code for the format.

Medical film and batteries

X-ray film for medical diagnosis is usually placed on the market as a medical device, so ask for the manufacturer's UKCA or CE marking and check the UK responsible person and MHRA registration; the X-ray equipment guide and the medical and PPE guide cover the rules. Industrial radiography film is bought against the film system class for the inspection standard it will be used with.

Some integral instant film packs contain a flat battery that powers the camera, which brings battery marking and take-back duties; ask the factory whether yours do.

Storage and shipping

Unexposed film ages and fogs with heat and humidity, so agree the expiry date at loading, ask for cool storage at the factory, and avoid long summer transits in unventilated containers. Cartons should be marked against X-ray screening, and high-speed film is best shipped with that risk in mind.

Worked duty example

For a made-up shipment of 40,000 packs of instant print film under 3701 20 00 00, add the £3,000 of freight and insurance to the £150,000 free-on-board price and customs sees £153,000. Duty on instant film is zero, leaving import VAT of £30,600, 20% of the customs value. For a VAT-registered buyer that is a cash-flow cost rather than a lasting one. The duty and VAT guide walks through the calculation.

Inspection checklist

Test exposures: expose and develop sample sheets or packs from several batches and compare density, contrast and colour with the approved sample; for medical film ask for sensitometry to ISO 9236-1, and for industrial film the film system class to ISO 11699-1.

Dates and batches: check the expiry date on every carton against the minimum shelf life agreed at loading, and check batch numbers on cartons match the test report.

Packs and cartons: check light-tight packaging is intact, instant film packs are sealed in their foil, cartons are dry and not crushed, and English user and safety information is in each retail pack.

What goes wrong

Film fails on age, heat and light. Stock arrives close to its expiry date, film fogs or shifts colour after a hot container transit, light leaks through damaged packs, instant film packs fail to eject or develop unevenly, and X-ray film speed differs from the batch the customer calibrated for.

Agree the minimum shelf life at loading, test a sample from each batch before shipping, and control transit temperature. See our quality inspection guide.

Cambridge China Bridge sources instant film, X-ray film and printing plates for camera retailers, clinics, testing firms and printers, and has no minimum order of its own; the factory's minimum per format applies. See small orders.